Joseph Cincotta is a dreamer who loves getting into every detail of each project and also trying new things. The purpose of Wheel Pad is to be a mobile handicap-accessible bedroom and bathroom, including a ceiling track to lift someone from the bed and into the bathroom.

 

The idea was originally for wounded veterans (the VA has a specific budget they will provide in order to renovate or build an accessible space for wounded vets). We worked very closely with Joseph to come up with a design that would make the most efficient use of material, labor, and energy resources, while also being practical and aesthetically pleasing. We all agreed to go for the simplest possible structure with windows laid out in such a way as to minimize wastage. The first Wheel Pad was assembled by students at Norwich University, after which two other groups of three built here. We received the trailer at our facility and we installed the panels here. The floor is 6.5" EPS R-23; the walls are 4.5" PIR R-23; the roof is 10.25" EPS R-37 with special attention paid to roof thickness in order to meet strength requirements. With seven currently built, there is momentum growing for people other than vets who want to live their lives with their families, with as much independence as possible, and with an ever-growing sense of capability and dignity.